Iomega Offers 1TB of Network Storage for $300

StorCenter ix2 comes in 1TB and 2TB ($479) versions and provides a centralized network storage repository for homes or small offices. "It's ridiculous how cheap these things are, but it is what it is," says Iomega President Jonathan Huberman.

Storage new-product news usually involves items that are bigger, faster and
cheaper, as disk drives themselves become more capacious and cutthroat
competition lowers pricing.

However, EMC's Iomega, well-known
for personal disk storage products such as the Zip and Jaz drives, is coming
out with new products that are smaller-yet "bigger" in capacity-and
cheaper.

Iomega on Oct. 15 introduced the StorCenter
ix2, a 1TB-capacity network storage drive with a desktop footprint that the
company describes as "smaller than a large dictionary." The price:
$300.

"When we were acquired by EMC, we talked a lot
about taking advantage of EMC's technologies to differentiate ourselves in the
consumer and small-business space," Iomega division President Jonathan
Huberman told me. "Here is the first substantial example of where that's
happening."

The StorCenter ix2 comes in 1TB and 2TB ($479) versions and provides a
centralized network storage repository that can be used in the home to share,
secure and protect data and files-including databases, photos, MP3 files,
videos and financial records.

"These are market-based prices," Huberman said. "It's ridiculous
how cheap these things are, but it is what it is. A great value for the
consumer."

The ix2 includes built-in support for Bluetooth, UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)
and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified devices; it even sports an
integrated iTunes server.

The ix2 includes security software from RSA, also
owned by EMC.
"My perspective on this is that you're getting an enterprise-quality
set of functionality at a price point and ease of use that a small business or
consumer can afford," Huberman said.

StorCenter ix2 uses EMC's LifeLine software,
a fully developed Linux operating environment and a suite of applications that
can be used to add new storage management features in the future.

Chris Preimesberger was named Editor-in-Chief of Features & Analysis at eWEEK in November 2011. Previously he served eWEEK as Senior Writer, covering a range of IT sectors that include data center systems, cloud computing, storage, virtualization, green IT, e-discovery and IT governance. His blog, Storage Station, is considered a go-to information source. Chris won a national Folio Award for magazine writing in November 2011 for a cover story on Salesforce.com and CEO-founder Marc Benioff, and he has served as a judge for the SIIA Codie Awards since 2005. In previous IT journalism, Chris was a founding editor of both IT Manager's Journal and DevX.com and was managing editor of Software Development magazine. His diverse resume also includes: sportswriter for the Los Angeles Daily News, covering NCAA and NBA basketball, television critic for the Palo Alto Times Tribune, and Sports Information Director at Stanford University. He has served as a correspondent for The Associated Press, covering Stanford and NCAA tournament basketball, since 1983. He has covered a number of major events, including the 1984 Democratic National Convention, a Presidential press conference at the White House in 1993, the Emmy Awards (three times), two Rose Bowls, the Fiesta Bowl, several NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, a Formula One Grand Prix auto race, a heavyweight boxing championship bout (Ali vs. Spinks, 1978), and the 1985 Super Bowl. A 1975 graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Chris has won more than a dozen regional and national awards for his work. He and his wife, Rebecca, have four children and reside in Redwood City, Calif.Follow on Twitter: editingwhiz